Architect Magazine Interviews Teri + Edwin on Equity in the Profession
EVOKE Co-founders and Principals Teri Canada and Edwin Harris were interviewed by Architect Magazine to discuss change in the architecture field to achieve an equitable profession. From the ways they practice, to the ways they engage the community and teach, Teri and Edwin actively partake in bringing about change to work towards a more equitable profession.
In the interview Teri discusses why and how it is important to make the field of architecture more accessible and visible to young children. She refers to promoting the architecture and design fields to young people as “feeding the pipeline.” It is often that children in underserved areas find out about architecture when it is too late to make it a career decision. “By feeding the pipeline, we are able to get more African Americans and other POCs into architectural programs and give firms a more diverse talent pool,” Teri says.
Both Edwin and Teri have taken action on this front. Edwin says, “Our mission is not only to be present, but also to engage students to become excited about the profession, which I hope will shift the landscape of our profession.” They both enjoy talking to prospective young professionals to give them a better idea of what the field holds, and they hold events in which elementary to high school students have the opportunity visit the studio. Prior to the pandemic, EVOKE gave an introduction of architecture to Farmville Middle School. Both demonstrate their commitment to the community in a variety of ways, from Edwin’s teaching at NC State, Teri’s involvement in several organizations, and their continual mentoring of other professionals.